


Clowning Around

by quiet__tiger



Category: Batman: The Animated Series
Genre: Drama, Gen
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2017-04-23
Updated: 2017-04-23
Packaged: 2018-10-23 06:02:26
Rating: General Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 387
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/10713663
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/quiet__tiger/pseuds/quiet__tiger
Summary: Little Harleen has an experience one day...





	Clowning Around

**Author's Note:**

> Prompt: "Childhood."
> 
> Originally posted to Livejournal 21st-May-2009.

“Nonononono!” Harleen Quinzel cried as the monster stalked closer. Its soulless eyes and too-large grin combined with the unnatural hair to bring to life the scary things under Harleen’s bed. Frozen in fear, she couldn’t look away as he reached out a hand to take her away to Somewhere Scary.

At the last second before his cold, dead hand touched her, she finally moved, buckle shoe with the rhinestones coming out to kick the monster in the shin.

He yelped and backed away as Harleen’s mother yelled, “Harleen! Why did you—How could—You are grounded when we get home, young lady!”

Not wanting to be grounded or yelled at, and still scared of the monster, Harleen couldn’t help but burst into tears. “But he was gonna hurt me! Take me away and never let me come home and--”

“Oh, Harleen…” Then she was pulled against her mother’s chest to muffle the sobs. Her mother rubbed her back as she quietly said, “He wasn’t going to hurt you, honey. He just wanted to give you a balloon! He’s not scary, he’s just a silly clown. Clowns are funny and they want to make you happy! It’s just face paint and a costume. That’s all, baby. Clowns won’t hurt you.”

Harleen pulled away a little to look at her mother, who nodded encouragingly. “You’re sure?”

“Yes, Harleen. He just wants to be your friend and be nice to you. See?” Harleen turned to where the clown held out a green balloon to her. “Go ahead and take it. He’s being nice. All clowns are nice.”

Sizing up the clown one more time, Harleen reached out for the balloon. She snatched it away before the clown could change his mind. He just smiled at her, a real smile in his painted one. And maybe the paint wasn’t so scary, now that she got a good look and saw that it _was_ paint and not—Not something else.

The rest of the day at the circus there were a lot more clowns, and they all had balloons and silly paint and smiles. None of them were scary, but they all tried to be funny. They did silly things and made her laugh. By the end of the day, Harleen decided she really liked clowns.

She liked them a whole lot.


End file.
